Euro-Festival ready for the off

Athlone is preparing to give a warm welcome to visitors from 14 European countries who are arriving in town ahead of the Euro-Festival 2010 which gets underway on Saturday, July 24. It's expected up to €4m in revenue will be generated locally during the eight-day long event, which features a variety of sporting, cultural and musical elements. It's hoped up to 20,000 visitors will be attracted to the town during the festival, which kicks off with what's expected to be a colourful and spectacular grand opening parade on on Sunday next. It will include marching bands, street theatre, the Tonnta street puppets, fire breathers, stilt walkers, clowns, face painters and the renowned Samba Band who will create a real carnival atmosphere. Already many business owners have decorated their premises with European flags and there is a real sense of excitement and anticipation throughout the town. A special Euro Village will be hosted on Main Street and will feature a stall for each nation and provide an opportunity to meet the European teams and to learn about their home places as they distribute brochures and literature as well as drink and food samples from their native lands. There are nightly concerts at the Civic and St Peter's Square, featuring acts such as Delorentos and Mike Denver. Lunchtime recitals and music, art and photography competitions and exhibitions, art and craft markets, cookery demonstrations and food tastings, comedy acts and a pig derby will also all add to the gaiety.